Woman Claims Arizona Cop Raped Her

PAYSON, Ariz. (CN) – A Payson, Ariz. police officer entered a woman’s house and raped her the day after he got her address from an incident report in which she had been a victim, the woman claims in court. Emily Morton sued the Town of Payson and Joshua Corey LaManna in Federal Court. She claims LaManna entered her home without her permission and raped her on Jan. 20, 2012, while he was on duty – then told her it was OK because he loved her. Before he raped her, she says, LaManna sent her a text message. She asked where he got her phone number, and “Defendant LaManna responded he took it off an incident report where she had been a victim the day before. “Then defendant LaManna text[ed] plaintiff Morton indicating that it was easy to sneak into her home as the department didn’t watch its officers at night,” according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit continues: “Some time thereafter Officer LaManna in the uniform of a police officer, with his service weapon and badge on, entered plaintiff Morton’s home. “Defendant LaManna went up the stairs to plaintiff Morton’s bedroom where she was asleep. “Officer LaManna stood above Ms. Morton, woke her and asked if she was ‘ready.’ “Plaintiff Morton did not respond; she froze in terror. “Plaintiff Morton heard the sound of the Velcro releasing Officer LaManna’s weapon. “Officer LaManna mounted plaintiff Morton. “Plaintiff Morton said no. “Defendant LaManna responded it was alright because he loved her. “Defendant LaManna penetrated Plaintiff Morton’s vagina with his penis and then left her home. “The months that followed were riddled with unwanted encounters from Officer LaManna. “Ms. Morton applied for and received an injunction against harassment from the Payson Magistrate Court naming Officer LaManna as the defendant. “Eventually, Officer LaManna retired, as to avoid being fired, with his pension and relocated. “Ms. Morton, on the other hand, suffers extreme emotional trauma and is damaged from the violation of her person, bodily integrity and her constitutional rights.” Morton seeks compensatory and punitive damages for civil rights violations. She is represented by Jo Ellen Vork. Payson, pop. 15,000 in central Arizona, calls itself “Arizona’s Cool Mountain Town.”